A group of 9-disubstituted fluorenes recently has been discovered to have potent antiarrhythmic activity; see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,197,313 and 4,382,093. The 9-carbamoyl-9-aminoalkylfluorenes are among the most active compounds, and one compound within this group, namely 9-(3-isopropylaminopropyl)-9-carbamoylfluorene, is now known generically as indecainide. The reported syntheses of the 9-carbamoyl-9-aminoalkylfluorenes have included acid hydrolysis of a 9-cyano-9-aminoalkylfluorene, and more recently reductive alkylation of a 9-carbamoyl-9-cyanoalkylfluorene, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,170.
An object of the present invention is to provide a group of new compounds that are derivatives of 9-carbamoylfluorenes. Certain of the new compounds are useful as intermediates in a novel process for preparing 9-carbamoyl-9-aminoalkylfluorenes such as indecainide.